Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-06-24
ELcGGED IN TIE SNOU.
Eiyht as,rdy CossdcEs shrick an9 moan
f,uicr the Cutting Lash.

t'ndcr the cutting Lash.
The Sergeant now read q mare from
list he had in his hand, and the first
Cossack stepped out of the file and
stood between the gendarmes, says L.
D. NIillct, in Ha1per's Magazine. At
second command he partially stripped
and lay down in the untrodden snow,
face downward. The three stalwart
gendarmes Immediately seized limb
apiece and held the culprit out fiat, like
victim of the inquisition strapped to
the rack. The man who had my ma
gajka now advanced and raised it in the
air, prepared to strike the exposed part
Of the PROSTATE Cossack.
"Ras" shouted the Sergeant.
Whack! went the cruel lash with a
sound that made my flesh creep.
"Dva! Tri! Chetiri" slowly counted
the Sergeant; and at each blow the
Cossack seemed to shrink into half his
natural size. Not groan nor sound
escaped his lips until the fifty lashes
were half spent, and then he moaned
pitifully during the rest of his punish
ment. When the last blow fell the
gendarmes sprang to their feet, the
Cossack scrambled up, his face dis
torted with suffering, arranged his uni
form with trembling hands, and, with
out stopping to shake the snow from
his hair, hobbled off, under guard, out
of sight among the horses. The seven
comrades of Cossack, enforced spec
tators of the brutal scene, were now
very pale, and their hands nervously
clutchel their trousers while they still
| preserved the right attitude Of "atten-
ton" A fresh hand took the nagajl1a,
and the second name was oslled. \
short, broad shouldercd fellow with a
small head and square face stepped
briskly out, threw aside his cap with a
careless Airt Of the hand, jauntily re-
moved his coat, as if preparing for a
pleasant exercise, and lay down with a
marked air Of bravalo. His courage
did not hold out long, however, for at
the very first blow he writhed and
sroaned and prayed and shouted, and
after the third or fourth stroke
wrenched one hand free and tried in
etfectually to protect himself from the
lash. But the gendarme quickly held
the arm in place again, and the count
was made With assravating deliberation
and precision. When the whole fifty
had been put On he was led away
shriehing and sobbing and dancing like
a whipped schoolboy, forgetful Of cap
and coat, snow and cold, and insensible,
indeed, to everything but the pain OF
his punishment.
The third name was called and the
young fellow, whose appearance L have
described. took his place in the snow,
now partly packed by the struggles of
the first victims There was no show
of emotion on his face except a CULVER
ing lip, and he gave no indications of
brayado or OF fear He bore the first
dozen lashes without sign except an
involuntary quivering Of the flesh.
Suddenly, about the fifteenth blow, he
seemed possessed With the strength of
a maniac. Flinging aside the muscular
gcndarmes as if they were no stronger
than children, and ANONYMOUSLY tum-
bling one of them in the snow, he
sprang to his feet, the picture of rage
and Indignation. He made no attempt
to escape, he shriekcd: "You have no
right to whip me! You have no right
to whip me! [ am the son of an officer
1 am the son of an ot1icer!"
But this astonishing squirt of mad
strength did not avail him, for the i'm
perturbable gendarmes seized him
again and stolidly forced him to the
ground, when the remaining blows were
counted.
The foolish fear of becoming the butt
for the laughter of the officers kept me
a spectator of the whole of this disgust
ing and degrading performance. After
the last blow had sounded I could re-
strain my Indignation no longer, and,
turning to the Captain, asked-havine
in mind, of course, the moral effect of
the tlogging-"what will become of
these men?"
"oh," said he, indiiferently, they'll
be put on picket duty row for two
weeks without being relieved"
HE ONLY TAINTED FIVE MINUTES.
You were speaking Of Stephen Field
rs grave and sedate justice, now that
he is full Of years and honor, and occu-